Oil Markets

As the major road freight fuel for Europe and beyond, how has diesel coped with the global pandemic and what are its prospects heading into the new year? Platts reporters Virginie Malicier and Rowan Staden-Coats discuss the diesel markets with Joel Hanley.

As 2020 finally draws to a close, Oil Markets Podcast hosts from around the world – Mriganka Jaipuriyar, Joel Hanley and Richard Swann – gather to discuss the year in detail, and try to chart a path to recovery in 2021.

It has been a big year for the US flagship crude, West Texas Intermediate, and in particular the way that grade is priced. Following significant growth of US crude exports before the pandemic and then the April 20 price collapse of the NYMEX WTI contract, S&P Global Platts launched its AGS assessment for waterborne cargoes of WTI Midland loading on the US Gulf Coast. Then just last week, Platts captured the global oil industry’s attention with its proposal to include WTI Midland in the Dated Brent global benchmark beginning in March 2022. In today's podcast we'll review how Platts AGS has performed since its launch in June amid challenging fundamentals for global oil markets.

With so much US crude now coming to Europe, Platts has announced a proposal to include US WTI Midland into the North Sea benchmark of Dated Brent. Jonty Rushforth and Joel Hanley discuss how this might work and what it means for the world’s leading oil benchmark.

The pandemic has pummeled Japan's oil demand and led to some dramatic drops in its crude imports and refinery runs. The onset of winter and subsequent rise in demand for heating oil has offset some of that collapse, but the road ahead continues to look uncertain, S&P Global Platts Asia oil market experts Takeo Kumagai, Daisuke Shibata and Mriganka Jaipuriyar discuss. While crude imports are expected to pick up in the near term, sustainability of that trend very much depends on the severity of COVID-19. What is looking certain however is that Japanese refiners will continue to import refined products as refining economics favor imports and run rates remain low. Full transcript: http://plts.co/rmqs30rmlb2 

Jet fuel took center stage at the recent International Air Transport Association Fuel Forum, as the industry grapples with the demand destruction due to air travel restrictions, but also paves the way for a clear decarbonisation agenda. Jet fuel and derivatives editors Emma Thomas and Christopher Ewen join Francesco Di Salvo to reflect on the key takeaways from the event and the impact on the markets for conventional and sustainable aviation fuels.

Diesel prices across the US soared last week, reaching multiyear highs in nearly every region. The aftermath of several hurricanes this year curtailed production, and perhaps shut some refineries for good. That, combined with strong agriculture demand, created a perfect storm for strong spot market prices.

As coronavirus cases rise sharply in Europe, many countries are entering into second lockdowns to curb the spread of the virus – but are the markets prepared for a potential second round of curtailed demand? S&P Global Platts reporters Chris Ewen, Kieran Hess and Sarah-Jane Flaws discuss with Joel Hanley the state of refined products and the challenges ahead for transportation fuels.

China's GDP grew by 4.9% the third quarter, putting the country's economy back on an expansionary track. China is one of the very few countries to register a positive growth amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Against this backdrop, S&P Global Platts Head of News in Asia Mriganka Jaipuriyar, senior oil writer Oceana Zhou, and Head of Global Demand and Asia Analytics Dr. Kang Wu examine China's prospects in a world that continues to face an immense oil demand destruction, forecasts of peak oil demand amid a decarbonization drive across the globe, and the implications the US elections might have on China's near to medium term growth. 

Despite demand for some refined products returning to pre-COVID levels, refinery margins in Europe have remained at all-time lows, leading to a bottleneck in the upstream market. S&P Global Platts editors Solomon Lanitis and Elza Turner discuss with Joel Hanley falling demand for crude oil in Europe, the building inventories of floating storage, and the health and prospects for the refinery sector.